Winemaker Notes
La Masía means The Farmhouse in Catalonia, my home region, as our winery is designed to resemble a classic Catalan farmhouse. The intense nose is delicate and very focused, with aromas of star jasmine and white peach, nicely framed with the elegant oak that contributes notes of hazelnut. The palate is rich and savory yet crisp and mouth filling, reminiscent of baked apple and lemon custard. The finish is long and perfectly balanced. The vineyard’s 30 acres of Chardonnay are planted with three different clones. The blend of clones in the 2017 vintage is 39% See, 38% Rued, and 23% Spring Mountain.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
From one of the cooler locations on the producer’s Green Valley estate planted to three different clones of the variety, this wine opens with aromas of white blossom and hazelnut. The light-bodied, balanced palate contributes focused, lifted acidity around layers of mango, pear and toasted oak flavors.
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James Suckling
This has a wealth of ripe peaches and melons with handy concentration on the palate, leading to a smooth, ripe and fleshy peach finish.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.